Comments on: Wakarimasen http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/ Chuck Jordan's Personal Weblog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:39:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Chuck http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/comment-page-1/#comment-13488 Chuck Thu, 02 Oct 2008 08:22:02 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=862#comment-13488 Well, I always heard it described as hiragana was the "childish" script, and katakana was for foreign words and for emphasis and sound effects. Which isn't any more xenophobic than English, since we use italics both for emphasis and for foreign words. Well, I always heard it described as hiragana was the “childish” script, and katakana was for foreign words and for emphasis and sound effects. Which isn’t any more xenophobic than English, since we use italics both for emphasis and for foreign words.

]]> By: Will http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/comment-page-1/#comment-13487 Will Thu, 02 Oct 2008 06:57:42 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=862#comment-13487 I had another solution for the puzzle. Just draw your line through the equals sign to make it 1 - 7 does not equal 1/2. Admittedly, I like the haafu answer a hell of a lot better and wish I had thought of it first. This is what I get for being so rusty with katakana. I do find it interesting that katakana is both the "childish" script and the "foreign" script. There seems to be a clear sign that words with foreign origin aren't good enough or advanced enough to be real words. Though every so often you will find a European word that has been in the language for so long that it has been upgraded to hiragana. I had another solution for the puzzle. Just draw your line through the equals sign to make it 1 - 7 does not equal 1/2. Admittedly, I like the haafu answer a hell of a lot better and wish I had thought of it first. This is what I get for being so rusty with katakana.

I do find it interesting that katakana is both the “childish” script and the “foreign” script. There seems to be a clear sign that words with foreign origin aren’t good enough or advanced enough to be real words. Though every so often you will find a European word that has been in the language for so long that it has been upgraded to hiragana.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/comment-page-1/#comment-13480 Chuck Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:31:33 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=862#comment-13480 I've heard that one before, and now I can kind of see it. I always interpreted that as "kanji is too complicated for you to understand," but now I think it's more that there's multiple meanings to them. Maybe it's the same for every language that uses symbols to represent concepts instead of sounds, but it seems like there's a whole level of expression that's just not possible in English. I’ve heard that one before, and now I can kind of see it. I always interpreted that as “kanji is too complicated for you to understand,” but now I think it’s more that there’s multiple meanings to them. Maybe it’s the same for every language that uses symbols to represent concepts instead of sounds, but it seems like there’s a whole level of expression that’s just not possible in English.

]]> By: jmackley http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/comment-page-1/#comment-13478 jmackley Mon, 29 Sep 2008 03:55:16 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=862#comment-13478 The explanation I received from one of my hosts in japan was that katakana was childish, or juveneille. It's the first thing they learn as little kids. Kanji is for adults. The explanation I received from one of my hosts in japan was that katakana was childish, or juveneille. It’s the first thing they learn as little kids. Kanji is for adults.

]]> By: seppo http://www.spectrecollie.com/archives/2008/09/wakarimasen/comment-page-1/#comment-13476 seppo Sun, 28 Sep 2008 06:03:40 +0000 http://www.spectrecollie.com/?p=862#comment-13476 Whoa. I like the haa-fu answer a lot. I'd come up with a completely different (and sort of strange) solution: The line you need to add is a bar the same length as the top of the 7, but at the bottom. Then you take all the existing lines, and draw them all in the same space, so you get a complete box (the 7, the additional line on the bottom, and the 1), that's bisected by the -. Which, I think (if I'm remembering correctly) is the character for "middle," which would imply a division in two, or halves. Yeah, it's a LOT less elegant. :D Whoa. I like the haa-fu answer a lot. I’d come up with a completely different (and sort of strange) solution: The line you need to add is a bar the same length as the top of the 7, but at the bottom. Then you take all the existing lines, and draw them all in the same space, so you get a complete box (the 7, the additional line on the bottom, and the 1), that’s bisected by the -.

Which, I think (if I’m remembering correctly) is the character for “middle,” which would imply a division in two, or halves.

Yeah, it’s a LOT less elegant. :D

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